About the Jewels
T
he Jewels are sixty teenagers drawn from all across the Kingdom of Banne each year and trained to serve the crown. Eleven teens are selected from each county (Thera, Moreti, Atas, Chak, and Inera) with another five from the capital. In theory, the Jewels are selected by lottery, but there are those who buy or bribe officials for the privilege of having their children selected. As soon as the Jewels arrive, they are separated into three groups, called cairns, for training.
The training - called faceting - lasts a year and covers all aspects of warfare, from spears to muskets, and from drill to tactics so that the Jewels can fill any role necessary on the battlefield. There is no failing the training; the only reason for a Jewel to leave are death, injury, committing a crime, or quitting. On average, forty-five of the sixty Jewels complete their training.
Jewels do not use their real names during faceting. Instead, they are given the name of gemstones. This is to teach them to work together,. No matter what their station in life, a prince is no more important than a beggar.​
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